Bed

I used these plans, but because we planned to back it up against a wall I moved the dividers all the way to the back. That left me with a little less trim work, which was nice. I’m no skilled woodworker, so there are certainly lessons learned. But I’m pleased with how it turned out.

One factor was choice of wood. I used the cheaper plywood that was maybe $25 for a 4×8 instead of $50. The price is nice, so I’m not sure I’d change it if I could go back. But I’ve worked with the nicer stuff before so this was a minor disappointment.

I feel like I should’ve spent more time on sanding. I gave it a fairly quick pass, and between the sanding and the plywood quality it didn’t take the stain very evenly. I think I rushed the staining, too, especially the second coat (“I’m almost done now!”), which contributed to the unevenness and some drip lines.

The trim joints worked out pretty well, but not perfectly. I had to use a table saw rather than a miter saw, but I suspect the bigger factor here is probably just experience. It may just take practice to get joints nice and tight.

I’m not sure if this is a “lesson learned,” but it is an observation. I used wood screws rather than nails because I wanted it to be extra sturdy. It turned out nice and solid, and I’m glad I did it, though it probably took me a little longer. The wood filler took the stain very nicely. Maybe the lesson learned here is to get an extra drill, or at least a few extra chucks. It was a pain to be constantly swapping out bits for drilling, countersinking and screwing.

All in all, though, I’m pleased with how it turned out! It’s wonderfully solid and sturdy, and looks good.

Also, by moving the dividers to the back, I still needed three pieces of plywood, but less wood for the trim, since I didn’t trim the backside. I added small corner braces toward the front because I was unsure about the stability after doing this, but I’m not sure if it was necessary.